COACHES SELECTED FOR NATIONAL MEN’S SUMMER UNDER-18 TEAM AND NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAMS

CALGARY, Alta. – Twelve coaches have been selected to lead Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and Canada’s national men’s under-17 teams throughout development and selection camps, and 2017 events.

On the under-17 side, Dave Struch (Flin Flon, Man./Regina, WHL) will serve as head coach for Team Canada Black, Ryan Oulahen (Newmarket, Ont./Flint, OHL) will head Team Canada White, while Gilles Bouchard (Normandin, Que./Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL) will lead Team Canada Red at Canada’s national under-17 development camp and at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

“We are thrilled with the caliber of coaches that have been selected to lead our National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and under-17 teams,” said Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and national teams with Hockey Canada. “These coaches have experience across many different levels of the game that will help develop young talent across our country, and we’re looking forward to their leadership as we move into the 2017-18 season.”

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team

McFarland served as the head coach for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team in 2016 and was an assistant coach with Team Canada Red at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He has been the head coach of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs for the past three seasons. Prior to joining the Frontenacs, he was an assistant coach with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals from 2012-14. McFarland played four seasons of junior hockey with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and Windsor Spitfires from 2002-06, and spent four seasons playing university hockey with Acadia University, serving as captain from 2007-10.

Jacob has served as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada for the past three seasons, and was behind the behind the bench with Team Canada White at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Prior to joining the Armada, he was an assistant coach at McGill University from 2010-14. As a player, he played five seasons of university hockey at McGill from 2000-05.

Kisio has been the head coach of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes for the past two seasons after spending eight seasons as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen from 2007-15. He served as head coach of Team Canada White at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and was also behind the bench as an assistant coach with Team Pacific in 2013. As a player, he spent four seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (2003-07) after playing the 2002-03 season with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers.

Canada’s national men’s under-17 teams

Bouchard has served as head coach of the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies since 2013. As an assistant coach he won a gold-medal with Team Canada White at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and was also behind the bench with Team Canada Red in 2014. As a player, he spent three seasons in the QMJHL with Shawinigan, Trois-Rivières, Beauport, and Chicoutimi from 1988-91, and also played two seasons with the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières.

Oulahen just completed his first season as head coach of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds after spending five seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Brampton/North Bay Battalion (2007-15). Oulahan also served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2014 and 2015. As a player, he spent four seasons in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins (2005-09) after playing three seasons with the OHL’s Brampton Battalion from 2002-05.

Struch won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Team Canada Black at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He has served as an assistant coach for the WHL’s Regina Pats for the past three seasons, and previously spent seven seasons with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. As a player, Struch spent four seasons with the Blades (1988-92) before a 13-year professional career that included stops in the AHL, IHL, WPHL, UHL, Austria, Italy, England and Germany.

Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel, will lead player selection for upcoming camps, and camp invites will be announced next month for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp and Canada’s national under-17 development camp.

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